I love all three of three of Fantasia Kitty's suggestions. I am afraid I am not very familiar with celebrities, actors in general. But my siblings are:

When I was reading the Silver Chair to my younger siblings, my sister said she imagined her as a character played by Emilie de Ravine (she played Claire from the TV serial Lost). De Ravine portrays an initially cute-and-huggable character, but she gradually evolves into an angry, murderous madwoman. I suppose this can work well for both LotGK's sweet façade and true nature. The only problem I have with her is her voice: it gets awfully nasalised when in anger-mode, and can be hard to understand... and the actress is quite shorter than how I personally imagined LotGK.

My personal choice would be Cate Blanchett... but now I think she's too associated with the LotR series, otherwise I would not know her name.

The Rose-Tree Dryad wrote:I remember seeing an interview years ago about the casting of Luna Lovegood in the HP films, and when Evanna Lynch went to audition, she got a callback almost as soon as she opened her mouth because her voice perfectly encompassed the dreamy quality that J.K.R. described. The Lady of the Green Kirtle having the right look is important, but in some ways, I think her voice is even more important.

I know you weren't suggesting Evanna Lynch for the role of the Lady of the Green Kirtle - but I've got that stuck in my head now. We know that she can do the dream like quality that will be needed for part of the performance - and if she can do the angry, fierce witch too, then I think it would be a performance that I'd enjoy.

As far as hair/eye color go - I don't really care one way or another. Wanting her not to be blonde because the White Witch was blonde - I understand that, but Tilda was/is not what I ever imagine for the White Witch when I read LWW or MN. I always think more along the lines of Rosalind Russell (yes, the actress from the 1940s) - she was know for her fast talking Romantic Comedies like "His Girl Friday" but could also be quite formidable and she was beautiful. She had dark hair and at 5'8" wasn't imposingly tall, but the way she carried herself she could seem like she was. That's the type of person I picture for the White Witch. I don't really even know of a contemporary actress with those qualities. I didn't hate Tilda's performance, in fact I thought she did a good job. But she still isn't really what I would have cast.

In my imagination, the Lady was blonde (and Jadis had black hair). She isn't as imposing as Jadis. She's powerful and deadly, but looks sweet and innocent. By no means am I suggesting this actress, but along the lines of Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She looked like a sweet, ditzy cheerleader that would need someone to take care of her, but she was actually the tough as nails Slayer who wanted people to look at her as a girly-girl. Don't want that actress (although, I like her) but I want that type of quality to come across.

So, I was watching an interview with Liv Tyler, and I'd love to hear your opinions on Liv as LotGK. She seems mature but youthful, an unusual combination. She has a really unique look, but it's her voice that I really love. I could just sit an listen to her talk!

I think she has the right look for the part, plus she's a vary good actresses who has the range to play both sides of the character. She is blonde and I've always imagined The Lady of the Green Kirtle as having blonde hair though I would no problem with her having a different color in the film to help her look different from the White Witch.

“I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia.”

I know a local actress who is in her early 20s but is already a very accomplished stage actress; she has played major roles for years, dramatic, sweet, naughty, grieving, psycho and viciously evil. She has gorgeous long hair which she uses well on stage, has an excellent command of her voice, and would be wonderful if they want to avoid a tall actress who might be confused for Jadis. I should mention it to her!

"Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe, who diversified his creatures" (a Jewish prayer to be said whenever one sees an unusual looking person or animal),

Anfinwen wrote:So, I was watching an interview with Liv Tyler, and I'd love to hear your opinions on Liv as LotGK.She seems mature but youthful, an unusual combination. She has a really unique look, but it's her voice that I really love. I could just sit an listen to her talk!

Intriguing idea! You're right about appearing both mature and youthful, which works well with "of a divine race, knowing neither age nor death", to paraphrase. I do wonder if people will be able to disassociate her with Arwen, but it's been so long and she looks a little bit different nowadays anyway. (They could also potentially dye her hair blonde.) She really does have a excellent voice for the hypnotic scene with the mandolin.

I think she has the right look for the part, plus she's a vary good actresses who has the range to play both sides of the character. She is blonde and I've always imagined The Lady of the Green Kirtle as having blonde hair though I would no problem with her having a different color in the film to help her look different from the White Witch.

Hmm, that's an interesting suggestion! I'm not sure how I feel about her voice as a fit for the role, though. I'm not sure if it's got that "musical" quality. She's not a bad age for the role, however, as I've always hoped for an LotGK somewhere from 30 to 40; she's 37 as of now.

While she should also have something of an ageless quality about her, being that she is immortal, I hope that the actress who plays her is old enough to make her seem intellectually formidable in her final confrontation with Rilian and his rescuers. Not that someone in their 20s can't project intellectual weight (as a twenty-something, I will certainly make no such claim ), but her demeanor in that scene is very "I'm the older and wiser one, you four are acting like foolish children". If she's played by someone who is very young/seems quite youthful, I don't think that's going to work so well.

coracle wrote:I know a local actress who is in her early 20s but is already a very accomplished stage actress; she has played major roles for years, dramatic, sweet, naughty, grieving, psycho and viciously evil. She has gorgeous long hair which she uses well on stage, has an excellent command of her voice, and would be wonderful if they want to avoid a tall actress who might be confused for Jadis. I should mention it to her!

Catching up here a little bit, though I don't have time to look through all the suggestions in this thread... even my own.

Once upon a time I would have liked Eva Green, but that was back before she was cast as all of the witches in all of the fantasy movies... So no. (I do love her, but I hate typecasting.)

Anybody who was a main character in a major fantasy film, I'm not a fan of (Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchette, Emma Watson) as I like lesser known characters. However, I'm willing to make an exception for Evanna Lynch. I like her look! I never saw her in the Harry Potter films, perhaps if I did I'd change my mind, but I do think appearance-wise she could pull it off.

I like the suggestion of Rosamund Pike. I don't mind that she's blonde, I always imagined the LotGK as a red-head, but blonde is ok in my book as well. Tilda Swinton has such a striking appearance that I don't think she looks much like anybody.

I love the idea of a talented unknown getting the role.

Ditto. But we can't talk about those people on here as we don't know them.

Drinian says she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...but I guess that makes her beautiful in a dangerous way. I expect her to have the vibe of a Ronnie Spector for example (emphasis on "vibe"), who could be sweet, but you know she has a wild side to her, and I expect her to be beautiful in a Elizabeth Taylor kind of way. It would be difficult to cast someone like that.

And I agree, I'd rather have a talented unknown rather than some of the untalented known.

I do love Evanna Lynch's voice, but I wonder if it isn't a bit too daydream-y; I think the LotGK's voice needs to be magnetic as well as musical. And then there's also the issue of whether or not she can change her voice to the one of fierce anger that the LotGK uses when Puddleglum has stamped out her green fire. I'd definitely like to see her in a role other than Luna to see what kind of range she has.

fantasia wrote:But we can't talk about those people on here as we don't know them.

True. Although nowadays with YouTube, you'll often have people uploading clips of themselves in stage productions or even acting reels, so sometimes there's something to discuss even if they're not very well-known.

Silly Girl wrote:Drinian says she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...but I guess that makes her beautiful in a dangerous way. I expect her to have the vibe of a Ronnie Spector for example (emphasis on "vibe"), who could be sweet, but you know she has a wild side to her, and I expect her to be beautiful in a Elizabeth Taylor kind of way.

And now I've got the Ronettes' songs running through my head. I've always been hoping for someone who doesn't make people suspect that she might be bad, just to make the reveal more dramatic later on, but Drinian did also get the sense that the LotGK was evil when he saw her. Hopefully the actress they cast will at least make the audience feel very conflicted about whether she's good or evil.

Double-posting, since this thread has been dormant for quite a long time now...

Lately I've been researching actors with experience in Shakespeare for Rilian and the LotGK because it's really important to me that the people who are cast to portray them are able to make their courtly language sound natural. One that I have recently run across is Australian actress Kate Mulvany. She has a lot of experience appearing in productions of Shakespeare and she has appeared in film as well (she had a minor role in 2013's The Great Gatsby). However, while I've thought that an LotGK in her thirties would work best for the character, she's still a bit old for the role at 39.

@ Rose-tree Dryad, yes you are right. Much depends on the script of course, but Shakespearean acting probably is a requirement at NIDA, where most Australian actors get to spend time if they want to make a career in acting. But I'd also include reading Chaucer aloud if you think it would get the sort of way of speaking LOTGK uses.

Rose-tree Dryad wrote:One that I have recently run across is Australian actress Kate Mulvany. She has a lot of experience appearing in productions of Shakespeare and she has appeared in film as well (she had a minor role in 2013's The Great Gatsby). However, while I've thought that an LotGK in her thirties would work best for the character, she's still a bit old for the role at 39.

Well maybe....But age should not be a major issue with casting someone of allegedly "divine" race, like LOTGK, female or not. Recently another Australian actress won a court case for defamation against a media group, age issues, ageism and the need to keep working being central to the actress's accusations against the way that group portrays women. It doesn't matter at what end of the 30's an actress may inhabit currently - older actresses in their forties might still do a convincing LOTGK performance, so long as they have the speaking voice, can still be done up to appear as if their ageing mechanism stuck on their 35th birthday and thereafter worked backwards as required, and can also ride side-saddle on a horse whilst wearing a long, flowing dress. It is whether an actress can do the job which counts.

parableproductions wrote:In my imagination, the Lady was blonde (and Jadis had black hair). She isn't as imposing as Jadis. She's powerful and deadly, but looks sweet and innocent.

Yes Cate Blanchette would do a good job if cast, for sure. If she could play Galadriel, LOTGK would be easy for her. But there must be other suitable people who are not quite as famous, and who might be able to do a better job. If you want someone who could play a witch, Emma Watson might do the trick, though I've only seen her as being on the good side. I've seen few other well-known Australian actresses, the most prominent being Nicole Kidman, but for that very reason, I wouldn't suggest her, either. I'd think that Kylie Minogue would be a better choice, if she could act as well as sing. What is needed is someone who can deliver sweet and cooing accents and lines to tired, cold and hungry children. LOTGK seems to speak with a Scottish Highland accent, so which actress, other than Barbara Kellerman or Tilda Swinton would suit such a description do you think? And how should she look wearing green?

A word of how LOTGK, whoever undertakes the role, ought to be dressed: I'm thinking that if everything she wears is green, and green is almost her signature colour, how about varying shades of green? From chartreuse to turquoise there are many shades of green, including olive green, lime green, khaki, viridian, emerald green, teal, jade, mint, fluorescent green etc. etc. This would help disguise appearances a bit when necessary, so that suspense can be maintained. Or maybe some of LOTGK's clothes might even change colour in differing lights?

I looked at some IMDB lists of actresses yesterday, and one that looks perfect is Alyssa Sutherland. I think it might be typecasting since she was in Vikings (I know very little about the series). I thought she looked perfect before I saw the pictures of her in Vikings. There is one picture of her in a green dress and cloak with a fur collar, and she looks every inch LotGK. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1451415/?ref_=nmmi_mi_nmShe is 35 and a former model from Australia.

I thought the same thing based on the first picture, but I think LotGK will be depicted much differently than Jadis. So an actress that looks a little like Tilda would not be problematic. This is the picture I really like: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1451415/medi ... 2709647360Something I've noticed from the photos is how she can look young and innocent, or maternal, then evil. She seems so ageless.